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The Weird Week in Review

Ned Kelly's Head Possibly Found

The remains of famed Australian outlaw Ned Kelly were identified from a mass prison grave and returned to his family earlier this moth, with the exception of his head, which was missing. Now 74-year-old New Zealander Anna Hoffman has come forward and says she has Kelly's skull, given to her years ago by a security guard while she was visiting Melbourne. Hoffman has a collection of more than 20 human skulls. Forensic investigators will conduct DNA tests on the skull to determine if it is Kelly's, although an examiner says it's a long shot.

Cow Stuck In Tree Rescued By Firemen

A farmer in Cumbria, England, noticed one of his cows was missing, and found that it had toppled ten meters down an embankment. The cow didn't fall to the bottom, as its fall was broken by a tree growing out of the hill. The Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service was called, and firemen were a bit surprised to be asked to get a cow out of a tree. They used a winch and other specialized equipment to remove the cow from the tree. A veterinarian checked the animal out and declared she was fine after her misadventure.

Wisconsin Cow Patties Scarce Due To Drought

The drought that has gripped the midsection of the U.S. this summer has far-reaching ramifications. The Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw and Festival in Prairie du Sac is finding it hard to scare up enough quality cow patties to throw. Cows tended to stay near the barn for food and shade, and manure didn't dry out in the sun as much as it should have. Organizers have only collected a third of the usual number of chips. Since they keep unbroken patties from previous years, they have a reserve supply they will have to dip into.

Student Asked to Change His Name for School

Three-year-old Hunter Spanjer is deaf and talks with his hands. In the S.E.E. (Signing Exact English) language, the gesture that means his name violates his school's weapons policy. Grand Island Public School wants Hunter to change his name so he won't have to use the sign. The sign may look a bit like a gun, but Hunter's name is a slightly modified sign to designate it as his personal identifier, in which he crosses his fingers. His fingers still look too much like a gun for school authorities. The National Association of the Deaf has been notified, and is expected to send lawyers to talk to officials from the school.

Lost Woman Looks for Herself

A bus driver alerted police and emergency personnel when one of the tourists went missing. The excursion to Iceland's Eldgjá volcanic canyon was put on hold for hours while a search was carried out.

Before reentering the bus after the stop at Eldgjá, the woman had changed her clothes and freshened up, resulting in the other passengers not recognizing her.

According to information from the Coast Guard, a helicopter was ready to be sent to the area to assist with the search but the plans were put off due to foggy conditions. Around 50 people participated in the search on vehicles and by foot.

The unidentified woman hadn't recognized herself in the description of the lost woman, as her clothing had been described incorrectly.

Lion Hunt in Essex

A big cat sighting in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England had authorities on the prowl for about 24 hours. Residents reported seeing a "lion" roaming the neighborhood on Sunday evening, and one person gave police a fuzzy picture of the cat. Officials called in zoo experts and a heat-seeking helicopter for the search, but turned up nothing. Police called off the search the next day, saying that they believe the creature was actually a wildcat or a big house cat. They say many doctored photographs were circulated on the internet, but those were not the original picture that police were using.

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Also on Mental Floss:

DID YOU KNOW? Marlon Brando hated memorizing lines so much that he posted cue cards everywhere to help him get through scenes.
He even asked for lines to be written on an actress's posterior. (That request was denied.)